By JOE DODD
Most schools try to schedule one of the weakest teams on their schedule for homecoming. For the last 17 seasons Mineola has been the guest at many homecomings across East Texas. Gilmer hosts the Yellow Jackets Friday night in their homecoming at Buckeye Stadium, but this is not the same old Mineola team.
This year the Yellow Jackets are 5-2 and undefeated (2-0) in district 15-3A play. The last time Mineola had a winning season was 1989 when the Jackets went 6-5. Since then, the Jackets won a total of 43 games. When Mineola head coach Steve Wells was named the Yellow Jacket’s coach before the 2006 season, he brought a winning tradition with him from Hooks, where his resume contained a win against Gilmer in 2000.
“Steve Wells is a great coach,” praised Gilmer head coach Jeff Traylor. “He’s done a wonderful job. He just does a good job of building a program. He already has made Mineola a lot better; and he’ll continue to make them better.”
After a 3-7 season in his first year, including a 62-12 loss to the Buckeyes, Wells has the Yellow Jackets on pace for their best season since 1989. Despite that success, Wells knows his place in the district hierarchy. “We’re not at the level of Gilmer yet,” admitted Wells. “Hopefully we’ll be there in five or six years. We’re just trying to make that first stride of having a winning season and getting into the playoffs.”
Wells also harbors no illusions about the match up against the Buckeyes. “We could play a perfect game and they could have a bad game and they could still beat us by forty points,” said Wells. “I think it might be the biggest upset in the history of football if Mineola beat Gilmer.”
“I’ve watched a lot of film in my twenty years,” continued Wells. “I’m not going to sit here and say that I think that we can honestly play with Gilmer, because we can’t. I do know that anything can happen on any given Friday night.”
That small possibility provides inspiration for Wells and the Jackets. “I told the kids that we have nothing to lose. You give me one-hundred and ten percent out on the field and things will take care of themselves. The main thing that I want to see is that we’re going to play four quarters.”
Traylor would love to see the game competitive into the fourth quarter, as the Buckeyes’ starters rarely see action in the final period due to an average score of 53-12 in seven games this season. “We had three great quarters [against White Oak] and we hope in the next couple of weeks we can get four good ones.”
Traylor hopes that his team’s lack of competition in the regular season doesn’t derail their state championship goal, while Wells just dreams of making it to the playoffs. “Year in and year out they’ve got a legitimate shot to win a state championship,” admired Wells. “We’ve got to win one more to reach our goal to be in the playoffs this year. We’d love to win all three of them, but we just want to win one of them and get in and get a taste of the playoffs.”
Mineola’s playoff hopes rest on the running of Cory Jones, who needs only 60 yards to become the Yellow Jackets’ single season rushing leader. The senior running back has 1,384 yards, and averages 30 carries a game. “He’s probably one of the better tailbacks we’ve played against,” Traylor said.
“He’s a good back,” agreed Wells. “He doesn’t have the break-away speed to take it all the way, but he’s a good back with good hips and good vision.”
Traylor said that Jones runs behind a solid front. “Their offensive line is good, especially the center Angel Ybarra. And James Griffin; he’s a big, good looking left tackle. The right tackle Brandon Martin is good, and their tight end Forrest Clark is good.”
Mineola’s biggest improvement is on defense, where the Yellow Jackets have decreased their points against average from 34 points per game last season to 18 points per game this year. “They’ve got two good sophomore linebackers in Stephen Hughes and Carlos Rivera, and their strong safety Jason Jones is good,” stated Traylor.
The Yellow Jackets will rely on their improved defense to try to slow down the Buckeyes who average 525 total yards per game. Gilmer running back Justin Johnson needs 118 rushing yards to top the 1,000 yard mark for the second season in a row. That’s especially impressive considering the senior back averages less than 11 carries per game.
“He can run over you or around you, either one,” marveled Wells, who warned against focusing solely on Johnson. “They’ve just got so many weapons that when you try to take away one dimension of their offense, they’re going to hurt you with another dimension of it.”
Wells points to sophomore quarterback Darian Godfrey as a case in point. “Godfrey at quarterback adds another dimension to the Gilmer offense. He was 16 of 17 last week and then he can pull it down and go yard on you running the ball.”
Wells is excited about the challenge of playing the Buckeyes. “As a coach I like the opportunity of playing against quality people because I think it’s going to end up helping your team become a better team.”
Traylor is just happy to be in front of the hometown crowd.
“I expect us to play well because we’re at home and Mineola is 5-2 and they’re undefeated in district, so I hope that gets our juices flowing,” said Traylor. “We like playing at home, so I’m excited. My seniors only have two more home games left. I told them it was going to go by fast; I don’t know if they realize how fast it’s going.”
Did you know?
This will be the 48th meeting between the two teams. Gilmer won the first game 18-0 in 1914, and has a 31-14-2 record in the series. The Buckeyes have won 12 straight games against the Yellow Jackets with Mineola’s last win coming in 1962.
Mirror Photo / Mary Laschinger Kirby
DEVANE CLARK clears the corner using the screening of Garrett Adkins (73) as he gains to the Roughnecks 35 Friday. Homecoming Friday night (Oct. 26) pits the Buckeyes against Mineola.
Mirror Photo / Mary Laschinger Kirby
GILMER’S JUSTIN Johnson follows the block of his quarterback, Darian Godfey, as he gains 21 yards to set up Godfrey’s touchdown pass to Paul Chesnut in Gilmer’s 63-7 win over White Oak there during the Yamboree. The Buckeyes welcome MIneola to town Friday night for Homecoming.
Most schools try to schedule one of the weakest teams on their schedule for homecoming. For the last 17 seasons Mineola has been the guest at many homecomings across East Texas. Gilmer hosts the Yellow Jackets Friday night in their homecoming at Buckeye Stadium, but this is not the same old Mineola team.
This year the Yellow Jackets are 5-2 and undefeated (2-0) in district 15-3A play. The last time Mineola had a winning season was 1989 when the Jackets went 6-5. Since then, the Jackets won a total of 43 games. When Mineola head coach Steve Wells was named the Yellow Jacket’s coach before the 2006 season, he brought a winning tradition with him from Hooks, where his resume contained a win against Gilmer in 2000.
“Steve Wells is a great coach,” praised Gilmer head coach Jeff Traylor. “He’s done a wonderful job. He just does a good job of building a program. He already has made Mineola a lot better; and he’ll continue to make them better.”
After a 3-7 season in his first year, including a 62-12 loss to the Buckeyes, Wells has the Yellow Jackets on pace for their best season since 1989. Despite that success, Wells knows his place in the district hierarchy. “We’re not at the level of Gilmer yet,” admitted Wells. “Hopefully we’ll be there in five or six years. We’re just trying to make that first stride of having a winning season and getting into the playoffs.”
Wells also harbors no illusions about the match up against the Buckeyes. “We could play a perfect game and they could have a bad game and they could still beat us by forty points,” said Wells. “I think it might be the biggest upset in the history of football if Mineola beat Gilmer.”
“I’ve watched a lot of film in my twenty years,” continued Wells. “I’m not going to sit here and say that I think that we can honestly play with Gilmer, because we can’t. I do know that anything can happen on any given Friday night.”
That small possibility provides inspiration for Wells and the Jackets. “I told the kids that we have nothing to lose. You give me one-hundred and ten percent out on the field and things will take care of themselves. The main thing that I want to see is that we’re going to play four quarters.”
Traylor would love to see the game competitive into the fourth quarter, as the Buckeyes’ starters rarely see action in the final period due to an average score of 53-12 in seven games this season. “We had three great quarters [against White Oak] and we hope in the next couple of weeks we can get four good ones.”
Traylor hopes that his team’s lack of competition in the regular season doesn’t derail their state championship goal, while Wells just dreams of making it to the playoffs. “Year in and year out they’ve got a legitimate shot to win a state championship,” admired Wells. “We’ve got to win one more to reach our goal to be in the playoffs this year. We’d love to win all three of them, but we just want to win one of them and get in and get a taste of the playoffs.”
Mineola’s playoff hopes rest on the running of Cory Jones, who needs only 60 yards to become the Yellow Jackets’ single season rushing leader. The senior running back has 1,384 yards, and averages 30 carries a game. “He’s probably one of the better tailbacks we’ve played against,” Traylor said.
“He’s a good back,” agreed Wells. “He doesn’t have the break-away speed to take it all the way, but he’s a good back with good hips and good vision.”
Traylor said that Jones runs behind a solid front. “Their offensive line is good, especially the center Angel Ybarra. And James Griffin; he’s a big, good looking left tackle. The right tackle Brandon Martin is good, and their tight end Forrest Clark is good.”
Mineola’s biggest improvement is on defense, where the Yellow Jackets have decreased their points against average from 34 points per game last season to 18 points per game this year. “They’ve got two good sophomore linebackers in Stephen Hughes and Carlos Rivera, and their strong safety Jason Jones is good,” stated Traylor.
The Yellow Jackets will rely on their improved defense to try to slow down the Buckeyes who average 525 total yards per game. Gilmer running back Justin Johnson needs 118 rushing yards to top the 1,000 yard mark for the second season in a row. That’s especially impressive considering the senior back averages less than 11 carries per game.
“He can run over you or around you, either one,” marveled Wells, who warned against focusing solely on Johnson. “They’ve just got so many weapons that when you try to take away one dimension of their offense, they’re going to hurt you with another dimension of it.”
Wells points to sophomore quarterback Darian Godfrey as a case in point. “Godfrey at quarterback adds another dimension to the Gilmer offense. He was 16 of 17 last week and then he can pull it down and go yard on you running the ball.”
Wells is excited about the challenge of playing the Buckeyes. “As a coach I like the opportunity of playing against quality people because I think it’s going to end up helping your team become a better team.”
Traylor is just happy to be in front of the hometown crowd.
“I expect us to play well because we’re at home and Mineola is 5-2 and they’re undefeated in district, so I hope that gets our juices flowing,” said Traylor. “We like playing at home, so I’m excited. My seniors only have two more home games left. I told them it was going to go by fast; I don’t know if they realize how fast it’s going.”
Did you know?
This will be the 48th meeting between the two teams. Gilmer won the first game 18-0 in 1914, and has a 31-14-2 record in the series. The Buckeyes have won 12 straight games against the Yellow Jackets with Mineola’s last win coming in 1962.
Mirror Photo / Mary Laschinger Kirby
DEVANE CLARK clears the corner using the screening of Garrett Adkins (73) as he gains to the Roughnecks 35 Friday. Homecoming Friday night (Oct. 26) pits the Buckeyes against Mineola.
Mirror Photo / Mary Laschinger Kirby
GILMER’S JUSTIN Johnson follows the block of his quarterback, Darian Godfey, as he gains 21 yards to set up Godfrey’s touchdown pass to Paul Chesnut in Gilmer’s 63-7 win over White Oak there during the Yamboree. The Buckeyes welcome MIneola to town Friday night for Homecoming.
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